Volume 9 - No. 51

L

Union County’s source for community news and more

South Arkansas

EADER

youth of the year Youngest ever accepts Boys and Girls Club honor Brooke Burger Editor

Feb. 12, 2014 Volume 9 – No. 51 WANT MORE?

facebook.com/saleader

Yoakam to rock El Dorado p. 7

Question of the Week

Follow the Leader on Facebook for a chance to win a weekly prize by answering our Question of the Week!

Like Us @

At just 14 years old, Boys and Girls Club of El Dorado’s Youth of the Year recipient Kaylah Morgan is emerging as a bright young leader in her community, according to many who know her.

Stepping onto the stage of Monday night’s Youth of the Year banquet, Morgan marked an

YOUTH continued on Page 6 Honored Youth: Kaylah Morgan anticipates the announcement of her Youth of the Year honor at the annual Boys and Girls Club banquet.

facebook/saleader

— Brooke Burger / South Arkansas Leader

All the bAnk you’ll ever need. w w w. f i r s t f i n a n c i a l b a n k . c o m

|

2

South Arkansas Leader

02•12•14

Log on to www.eldoark.com ...

Comedy for all ages: ‘Everything is awesome’ in ‘The LEGO Movie’ Cole Clay

Red Carpet Crash

Who exactly is “The LEGO Movie” supposed to be marketed towards? The strategy is a bit confusing. It seems that it could be a kids’ film, but the irreverent “Adult Swim”-type humor says otherwise.

So, the best answer is: Everybody.

The film has its tongue firmly implanted in cheek and has enough bells and whistles to keep the kids (and adults) entertained from start to finish. While this film’s appeal may be a complete anomaly, one thing is certain – “EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!” Filmmaking partners, and “Master Builders,” Christopher Miller and Phil Lord (both of “21 Jump Street”) have been given permission to poke fun at any and every property under the giant Warner Bros. umbrella.

The duo takes the film into wonderfully unexpected directions that you can only see to believe.

The plot is, by and large, the story of an unlikely hero named Emmet (Chris Pratt, “Parks and Recreation”), who is destined to become the chosen one and save the LEGO world from the megalomaniac, President Business (Will Ferrell, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”). There are numerous famous voices that appear in the film in cameo roles including Liam Neeson, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Morgan Freeman and Charlie Day. An opening musical number features a giant chorus of yellowfaced “LEGO-landians” singing the aforementioned phrase “EVERYTHING IS AWESOME” at the top of their plastic lungs, accompanied by a poppy beat. This sets the tone for a largely unfocused film that works on every level imaginable.

The LEGO Movie » Release date: Feb. 7. » Run time: 100 min. » Rated: PG for mild action and rude humor. » Director(s): Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. » Stars: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Morgan Freeman, Charlie Day, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Berry, Alison Brie, David Burrows, Anthony Daniels, Will Forte, Dave Franco, Shaquille O’Neal and Nick Offerman. » RCC Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

The characters are adorable, the jokes are uproarious, and the visuals are spectacular.

Every frame is filled with so much energy and pace, it is like a sugar rush injected directly into every sensory organ. The film is completely gorgeous, and even if the 3D isn’t entirely necessary for the film, it serves as yet another visual stimulant for you to feast your eyes upon.

Brick by plastic brick the film builds upon itself, setting a new bar for animated films. This is a mustsee and acts as a perfect metaphor for the brand’s creative model.

Red Carpet Crash provides review writing on films, DVDs and television; news and updates on all things entertainment; and the occasional free stuff.

Find RCC at www.redcarpetcrash.com or facebook.com/RedCarpetCrash.

History speaker series to continue March 20 with discussion of slavery South Arkansas Community or co-editor of 11 other books, College will once again team including “Interpreting Southup with the South Arkansas His- ern History” and “Masters and torical Foundation to present the Slaves in the House of the Lord: Race and Religion in sixth installment of the the American South.” partnership’s history Boles received his speakers series. undergraduate training The spring 2014 seat Rice University and ries will begin with his doctorate from the the lecture, “ChangUniversity of Virginia, ing Historical Perwhere he was a Thomspectives on Slavas Jefferson Founery in the American dation Fellow and South,” on Thursday, a Woodrow Wilson March 20. Dr. John B. Dissertation Fellow.

Boles, of Rice UniverThe program, which sity in Houston, Texas, Boles is free and open to the will deliver the lecture.

Boles is the William Pettus public, will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Hobby Professor of History at in the SouthArk Library audiRice University and until recent- torium, located on the college’s ly was the editor of the Journal of West Campus.

The history speakers series is Southern History. As well, he is the author of 10 books, including supported in part by a grant from “The Great Revival, 1787–1805: the Arkansas Humanities CounOrigins of the Southern Evan- cil and the National Endowment gelical Mind,” “Black Southern- for the Humanities. For more ers, 1619–1869” and “The South information, contact the South Through Time: A History of an Arkansas Historical Foundation American Region.” As well, at 870.862.9890 or go online to Boles has served as the editor soarkhistory.com.

02•12•14

... for hundreds of FREE classifieds!

South Arkansas Leader

3

Consumers should have net worth of at least $1m before buying a car Dear Dave, I’ve heard you say many times you shouldn’t buy a brand-new car unless you have a net worth of $1 million. What’s so special about a million dollars?

— Angela

Dinner for One or Two: Cooking for one or two people can be a challenge, but it is possible to cook healthy, nutritious meals for a smaller household with a few tips and tricks on shopping, preparation and storage. — Courtesy photo

Healthy, nutritious meals are possible for small households Cooperative Extension Service U of A System Division of Agriculture

TEXARKANA — Cooking healthy, fulfilling meals for one or two can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be, according to Carla Haley-Hadley, extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“Cooking for one or two can be tricky,” she said.

Hadley said that the idea is to make the most of the ingredients while minimizing dishes, but they may seem like a daunting task when many recipes serve four to six people. However, there are several

options available to help singles and couples cook healthy meals.

“You don’t have to abandon the kitchen for takeout or settle on eating a bowl of cereal,” she said.

One helpful resource is found in nearly every kitchen – the freezer.

“Instead of scaling down a recipe, cook the full recipe,” Hadley said.

“Consider freezing soups, casseroles, chili, pasta dishes and extra vegetables. Then when you do not feel like cooking, just pull these frozen meals out and enjoy.”

Be sure that at least half of the grains in those cook-once, eat-twice

MEALS continued on Page 9

SouthArk seeks stories for WWII documentary

The performance and media arts department at South Arkansas Community College is seeking the personal stories of local World War II veterans for a new video documentary.

“The documentary will be approximately 30 minutes in length and totally produced by the students in the Documentary, Sound Recording and Directing classes at the college,” PMA director Larry Powell said.

“There are less than a million WWII

veterans living in the nation, and we feel that it is necessary to document their stories for posterity.”

The completed film will be submitted to a documentary film festival, Powell said.

If you are a local veteran of World War II who is interested in participating, or know one who is, call 870.875.7272 or email lpowell@ southark.edu. Representatives of the program will be recording these stories throughout February.

Dear Angela, In all honesty, there’s nothing particularly special about a million dollars. A brand-new car will lose about 60 percent of its value in the first four years. So, if you’re going to turn a $30,000 investment into $12,000, you’ve got to have a bunch of money. You’ve got to be in pretty great financial shape in order to absorb the blow.

If your entire net worth is $100,000, and you put $30,000 of it into a vehicle that will lose 60 percent of its value, you’re just being financially and mathematically stupid. Your income is your largest and most powerful wealthbuilding tool. If you’re buying things that go the wrong way in terms of value, you’re not gaining wealth; you’re losing wealth.

There’s really nothing special about $1 million. I could have said $2 million or $900,000, but $1 million is easy to remember.

Plus, it’s nothing to sneeze at in terms of an individual’s net worth.

When you lose a lot, and it’s a small percentage of a lot, you don’t have to worry so much. But when you lose a lot and you didn’t have much to begin with, that’s a recipe for financial disaster!

— Dave Dear Dave, My parents co-signed on government loans so I could go to college. Would my forbearance or non-payment affect their credit if I don’t pay?

— Tiffany Dear Tiffany, Yes, it would. I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on you, kiddo, but you’ll be trashing your mom and dad’s credit if you don’t pay the bills on time. If they co-signed for you, they’ll start getting phone calls, too, if you don’t do the right thing and pay back these loans.

The truth is, your mom and dad shouldn’t have co-signed for you

DAVE Says

in the first place. There’s only one reason lenders want a cosigner, and that’s because they’re afraid the person taking out the loan won’t be able to pay back what’s owed.

My goal here isn’t to beat you up, Tiffany. It’s to give you information that you – and your parents – need in order to make different, smarter decisions in the future. We all do dumb things sometimes. In the past, I did some really dumb things with very large numbers attached.

The goal is to grow, learn, and try to use what we learn in order to do fewer dumb things in the future.

— Dave Dear Dave, I’m 26, and I just started a new job making $50,000. I’ve also been offered a 401(k) with no match. Should I put money into the 401(k) or open a high-yield CD? — Crystal Dear Crystal, I’ve got another idea. I’d open a Roth IRA with good growth-stock mutual funds inside and fund it up to $5,500 a year. Make sure these mutual funds have been open at least five years – preferably 10 years or more – and have performed well. Mathematically, this investment, growing tax-free, will be superior to a non-matching 401(k).

Then, if you want to invest more than $5,500, you could put some additional money into the 401(k) offered by your company. Again, make sure you’re invested in good growth-stock mutual funds with long, successful track records.

Congratulations, Crystal. And good luck!

— Dave

Dave Ramsey has authored four New York Times best-selling books.”

The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 5,000,000 listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations.

Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the Web at daveramsey.com.

4

South Arkansas Leader

02•12•14

Log on to www.eldoark.com ...

City brings home several state awards MusicFest El Dorado claims Festival of the Year for third straight year

NORTH LITTLE ROCK — During the 2013 ALFiE Awards, given by the Arkansas Festival & Events Association at its 30th Annual Conference Jan. 30-31, El Dorado’s local festival MusicFest took home several awards, including Festival of the Year. . The ALFiE Awards, “Arkansans Love Festivals & Events,” honor the best and brightest of Arkansas’s festivals and special events.

This marks the third straight year and the fifth time overall in seven years that MusicFest El Dorado has earned the title of Festival of the Year throughout the state. According to the Arkansas Festival & Events Association, the award is presented to a festival or other special celebration that stands out among all the festivals in Arkansas by its creative approach, crowd appeal, media coverage, and enhancement of community pride or a combination of those, thus benefiting the state’s quality of life.

South Arkansas’s largest outdoor music event, MusicFest celebrated its 26th annual festival with more than 30 musical acts, marking the festival’s biggest lineup ever with music ranging from country and bluegrass to R&B and blues to rock ‘n’ roll. MusicFest 26 featured headliner and rock-‘n’-roll icon Bret Michaels, of Poison fame, as

uniqueness and community contribution. Previous winners include Wakarusa, Ozark; Legends Balloon Rally, Hot Springs; Little Rock’s Sculpture at the River Market Show & Sale; St. Patrick’s Day Celebration featuring the Union County Rock-Paper-Scissors Championship, El Dorado; and Star Daze, Star City. » Outstanding New Idea: World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest (for baby ducks), Stuttgart.

Eligible festivals have developed a new idea, logo, event, festival or publication during the previous year which added significantly to the success or popularity of the festival. Previous winners have been MusicFest El Dorado; Museum of Discovery, Little Rock; Smackover Oil Town Festival; Toad Suck Daze, Conway; and Wing Ding Festival, Awarded: Trina Mitchell, Arkansas Festival & Events Association executive direc- Jacksonville. tor, presents executive director of Main Street El Dorado Mark Givens (left) with the award for Festival of the Year, MusicFest’s third-straight win. — Courtesy photo » Volunteer of the Year: Steve Outlaw, Ozark. well as Justin Moore, Julie Roberts, Social Media. For more information A volunteer who has provided Austin Brown, Frank Foster and on MusicFest El Dorado, go online significant enthusiasm and specific to musicfesteldorado.com.

Randall Shreve. expertise while showing initiative Other 2013 ALFiE winners and Music Fest El Dorado was named and providing leadership, dependFestival of the Year in 2007, 2009, categories included: ability and a positive attitude for the 20011 and 2012. » Best New Festival or Event: event for at least three years withThe annual music festival, hosted Thunder on the Mountain, Ozark. out having received remuneration in downtown El Dorado the first Eligible events are those still for services. weekend of October, also garnered within their first five years; judging FESTIVAL continued on Page 8 awards for Best Website and Best is based on the operation’s growth,

Main Street El Dorado recognized with state award for Cash Mob event LITTLE ROCK — Main Street El Dorado was among 10 other Arkansas communities honored Jan. 29 with various Main Street Arkansas awards.

Main Street El Dorado took home the award for Best Retail Event for its Cash Mob events.

The organization launched its first Cash Mob in August of 2012, bringing in profits over $1,600 in just two hours for the first local business selected.

An economic development tool, the idea behind the Cash Mob asks members of the community to convene at a specific time and location to shop at a

locally owned establishment selected at random. Each participant is asked to spend at least $20 in the chosen business and meet at least three new people.

While the Cash Mob brings business directly to locally owned, small businesses, it also serves as a free promotional tool for the business. With no dollars spent on advertising, a business will get the opportunity to showcase its merchandise, make some sales and, in some cases, network with other File In: Judy Choate (front) leads the way as local business owners.

MOB

shoppers swarm local downtown business continued on Page 8 Wreaths & More during the city’s first Cash

Mob from Main Street El Dorado’s in August 2012. The event recently won a state award for best retail event. — File photo

02•12•14

... for hundreds of FREE classifieds!

South Arkansas Leader

5

Treat your sweetheart’s heart this Valentine’s Day Chocolate’s dark side shows its good side for heart-health benefits

Cooperative Extension Service U of A System Division of Agriculture

TEXARKANA — Americans are expected to show their love by spending some $17.3 billion on Valentine’s Day this year, but the money most well spent on the heart may be those gifts that include dark chocolate.

According to the National Retail Federation, the average person will shell out $133.91 on candy, cards, gifts, dinner and other outward shows of affection, up slightly from last year’s $130.97.

Now, while money can’t buy love, a gift of dark chocolate may buy a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, said Carla Haley-Hadley, extension agent with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“If you are a chocolate lover, then Valentine’s Day is a day you probably love,” she said.

Straight to the Heart: Couples may enjoy dark chocolate sweets a little more this Valentine’s Day given the candy’s heart-health benefits. — Courtesy image

And there can be great news in those boxes and bags of heavenly goodness.

“Researchers have found that the main flavonoids found in cocoa are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease,” Hadley added.

Flavonoids are a subgroup of polyphenols, and within the flavonoid chemical hierarchy the flavan-3-ols (flavanols) are particularly high in

dark chocolate and cocoa. Cocoa contains the same nutrients found in other plant foods, including minerals and specific antioxidants that help ward off diseases such as heart disease.

Antioxidants are important to overall health because they help the body’s cells resist damage caused by free radicals. Hadley noted that free radicals are considered the “bad guys.” These “bad guys” cause

plaque formation on arterial walls that leads to increases in LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels, she said.

But that’s not a license to overindulge.

“You cannot eat the entire box or bag of dark chocolate and claim it’s for your health,” Hadley said.

“It doesn’t work that way. Potential health benefits need to be balanced with caloric intake.”

Dark chocolates seem to have the highest level of flavonoids, because they have gone through few processing steps. On the other hand, milk chocolate has been processed many times and therefore many of the flavonoids are missing.

As with all foods, chocolate should still be consumed in small amounts and balanced with healthy foods rich in vitamins and minerals, including fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

For more information about healthy eating, visit www.uaex.edu.

Born during Civil War, Pine Bluff native goes on to fight for civil rights Ken Bridges

South Arkansas Historical Foundation

John Gray Lucas was born in the chaos of the Civil War and became a voice for civil rights in Arkansas. He was born in East Texas in 1864. His mother had been a slave who became a refugee as she sought to escape the increasing shortages and lawlessness of the dying Confederacy.

Lucas grew up in Pine Bluff. Despite the many hardships Arkansas faced during Reconstruction, African-Americans now had new opportunities. Lucas attended local schools where he was a gifted pupil. He would later attend Branch Normal College (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) before gaining admission to Boston University law school in 1884.

Lucas would graduate with honors in 1887, returning to Arkansas and passing the state bar exam with a perfect score.

He went on to become the assistant prosecutor for Jefferson County and was later named a

special magistrate for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. In 1890, he was elected to the state House of Representatives, representing Jefferson County.

In spite of the increasing obstacles that freedmen faced in the years after Reconstruction, Lucas remained determined to secure a future for African-Americans in the South they had helped build. In one speech, Lucas stated: “We will not leave the graves of our fathers, but here we will rear our children; here we will educate them to a higher destiny.”

His optimism and determination met their match in the legislative session. In 1891, the state legislature, dominated by reactionaries, passed a slew of bills designed to push African-Americans back down to a subservient existence.

Bypassing the 15th Amendment, which forbade any restrictions on the vote based on race, legislators instead relied on the deep poverty and poor education that most

H

South Arkansas Historical Foundation presents

ist o ry minute

African-Americans still faced. A poll tax was imposed for voter registration as well as a secret ballot, which prohibited the illiterate from voting. The Separate Coach Law mandated that all modes of transportation be segregated by race. Lucas had argued passionately against these laws, but failed.

Gov. James Eagle did little to oppose the rising tsunami erasing the gains of the freedmen.

African-Americans would lose the right to vote for decades. Segregation would be the law. Lucas and the 11 other African-American members of the state legislature were swept out of office as a result.

Lucas, frustrated by the loss

of so many basic freedoms for African-Americans in Arkansas, decided he could do no more.

He moved his family to Chicago where he would become a prominent defense attorney and would serve in several city and county positions. He argued a number of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

By 1934, he was 70 years old.

While many men would consider retirement at such an age, Lucas was ready to start a new career as President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him Assistant U.S. Attorney. Lucas would serve ably until his death in 1944. He devoted his life to the fight for justice, laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs in civil rights in Arkansas and across the nation.

Organized in the 1970s, the South Arkansas Historical Foundation has been dedicated to educating the public about Arkansas’s rich history for over 30 years. The SAHF offices are located at 422 North Jackson in El Dorado. For more information, about SAHF call 870.862.9890.

6

South Arkansas Leader

02•12•14

Log on to www.eldoark.com ...

YOUTH

continued from Page 1

unprecedented moment in local Boys and Girls Club history as she became the youngest-ever recipient of the annual honor, as well as this year’s only nominee.

Typically the El Dorado Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year is selected from two Club members, each nominated by one of the Club’s two units – the North West Unit and the David A. Wetherington Unit – who then undergo an interview process and review by the Club’s Board to determine the winner.

This year, Morgan stood out among the rest as the Club’s overall candidate, despite her age.

“Without question Kaylah is one of the most outstanding young ladies I have had the liberty of meeting,” said Deneisa Jamerson, director for the Club’s North West Unit.

During Morgan’s interview process, the members of the Board were overwhelmingly impressed by the young student, who carries a 3.7 grade-point average while participating in several extracurricular and community service activities.

“I think we’ll hear good things out of her for years to come,” Club Board member Kent Jobe said of the honored youth.

Morgan, who plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas and become an OB/GYN, said that she is focused on her future and knows those “big plans come with big responsibilities.” The freshman said she is very grades-oriented, working to ensure her other endeavors do not hamper her drive to find success in high school and go further in life.

Yet the youth still finds time to devote to others – serving on student council and PRIDE, teaching pee-wee cheerleading dance classes, singing in her church choir, participating in community cleanup events, and maintaining her involvement with the Boys and Girls Club.

Jobe noted that he was impressed with Morgan’s maturity level for a 14-year-old, stating that she showed herself to be “very others focused” by talking less about her own achievements and more about how she could use her talents to help others.

Morgan joined the El Dorado Boys and Girls Club when she was 6 years old. In her time with the Club, she has managed to take on the responsibility of dance instructor, while embracing her role as a mentor to

the younger children, especially the girls, with her self-started mentoring program Girl Talk.

The young dance enthusiast said that she pulls from all those around her, grabbing insight and advice from those she looks up to (like her mother), and knows well the significance of having positive role models.

“Most children’s role models are on TV and it’s important to give them a person in real life that they can look up to,” she said.

For her, she found much of that inspiration in the Boys and Girls Club, specifically in a former dance instructor at her unit. Through that instructor, Morgan further embraced her passion for dance, leading her to fulfill that same role for other young girls. During her acceptance speech she focused in on key components she identified with the Club – joy, patience, laughter, seriousness, love.

The first four, she said, can be grouped together – joy with laughter and patience with seriousness – and ultimately with those components “whatever you bring, the kids will give it back to you,” she said. But the one that carried the most weight for Morgan was that final one; the one she said stands alone.

“Love can stand on its own because every day that I walk through those doors, I feel loved,” Morgan said.

Youngest Ever: Banquet emcee and Boys and Girls Club alum, Joe Hickman congratulates Youth of the Year Kaylah Morgan as she takes the stage for her speech at the annual Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year Banquet on Feb. 10.

— Brooke Burger / South Arkansas Leader

AdoptMe Pet adoptions are available at the Union County Animal Protection Society shelter, 1000 Sunset Road, El Dorado. UCAPS’s hours are noon to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday. For information about adopting or sponsoring a pet, call 870.862.0502.

Double the Support custom collars » Funds raised from these hand-crafted collars go to support both UCAPS and the Arkansas Paws In Prison program. » L: $20; M: $15; S: $10. » Order yours today at ucaps1@yahoo.com.

02•12•14

... for hundreds of FREE classifieds!

South Arkansas Leader

7

Country music icon Dwight Yoakam to play city Main Street El Dorado brings the Grammy Award-winner to El Dorado

trademark edginess with a notable, growing positivity.

“The music just kind of dropped in, in that way,” Yoakam said. “Music is a bit of a mystery, like all emotions are. And I think maybe it was something I needed to express and to share with the world at large, something positive when all of us are kind of carrying around this collective, emotional weight.”

Much has been written about the Kentucky-born, Ohio-raised Yoakam being too country for Nashville when he first sought out his musical fortune in the mid-’80s, but Yoakam’s music is really

— Courtesy photo

Main Street El Dorado will present Grammy Award-winner Dwight Yoakam live on Friday, March 14.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 that night at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, located at 100 West Eighth St., in El Dorado.

A worldwide music icon and the 2013 Americana Artist of the Year, Dwight Yoakam has recorded 12 gold albums in addition to nine platinum or multi-platinum albums, including the triple-platinum “This Time.” Five of those albums have topped the Billboard Country Albums chart, with another 14 hitting the Top-10. More than 30 singles have made the charts, with over 22 landing in the Top-20.

These incomparable hits include “Honky Tonk Man,” “Please Please Baby,” “Little Ways,” “I Sang Dixie,” “It Only Hurts When I Cry,” “Fast as You” and “Thousand Miles from Nowhere.” Yoakam has won two Grammys and earned a staggering 21 nominations while selling over 25 million records worldwide.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are to have Dwight Yoakam coming to El Dorado for this incredible performance,” said Mark Givens, executive director of Main Street El Dorado. “He is a true international star!”

Few entertainers have attained the iconic status of Dwight Yoakam.

Perhaps that is because so few have consistently and repeatedly met the high standard of excellence delivered by the Kentucky native no matter what his endeavor, be it music, television or film.

Yoakam’s latest Warner Bros. album, “3 Pears,” exemplifies his ability to incorporate multiple, competing influences into a piece of cohesive art. It balances his country core with an independent embrace of rock, Americana, pop and soul. It blends Yoakam’s respect for his musical predecessors with the collaborative assistance of modern singer/ songwriter Beck, who co-produced two tracks, and current rocker Kid Rock, who co-wrote the hooky opener, “Take Hold of My Hand.”

But “3 Pears” also builds on his

too individualistic to fit neatly into any one box. Like the icons he so admires – Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Buck Owens – Yoakam is one of a kind. He has taken his influences and filtered them into his own blend of country and rock that honors his musical predecessors and yet creates something new.

His debut album, “Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.” (1986), set the tone as critics and fans alike responded to a new voice that arrived fully formed with no contemporary rival. With those 10 songs, Yoakam led the New Traditionalist movement, though he was never confined by that role.

The New York Times’s Peter Watrous defined Yoakam’s status beyond his obvious importance to country: “He fits into a general cultural reinvestigation of things American, including

jazz and grassroots rock-and-roll.”

Aside from his many accolades in the performing arts, Yoakam is also the most frequent musical guest in the history of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But the country music legend didn’t stop at television.

Over the past 15 years, Yoakam has also carved a niche as one of the top character actors on film having appeared in Academy Award-winner “Sling Blade,” the 1996 drama written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton. Starting with a role as a truck driver in John Dahl’s film noir “Red Rock West” in 1992, Yoakam has gone on to act in top films, including “Panic Room” (2002), “The Newton Boys” (1998), “Wedding Crashers” (2005) and more. As an actor, Yoakam has stood toe-to-toe with some of the world’s top thespians, including Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker and Nicolas Cage.

Yoakam’s ability to fuse multiple genres in music and to work in a variety of formats in movies led Time magazine to call him “a Renaissance man” and inspired author Don McLeese, in “Dwight Yoakam: A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” to dub him “a visionary beyond time.”

The country music icon’s journey is, by admission, not a straight path, but it is one that feeds the essential premise of his art, he said. Yoakam’s unique musical and theatrical efforts are different facets of his singular devotion to discovery of himself and the world in which he lives.

“You search for a sandbox,” he said, “and just have fun in it.”

Tickets are reserved-seating and are on sale now through www.main streeteldorado.org or by calling the office of Main Street El Dorado at 870.862.4747.

Ticket prices are: Golden Circle $100, Orchestra $60, Parquet $50, Loge $40 and Balcony $30.

For more information, contact the Main Street El Dorado office at 870.866.7879 or email mainstreet eldorado@suddenlinkmail.com.

Further information on the upcoming one-night concert and ticket availability can also be found at facebook.com/mainstreeteldorado.

8

South Arkansas Leader

02•12•14

Log on to www.eldoark.com ...

Fall in love with these new arrivals at the SouthArk Library Lauri Wilson

Back in the 1940s, a young lady died in a beautiful antebellum house and took many secrets to her grave. The house gained a reputation for being haunted as several people reported seeing strange sights in its dusty halls. However, when college professor Spencer and his family purchased the house in 2007, he made a discovery that would perhaps explain why the restless spirit still walked in the Allen house.

South Arkansas Community College

February is here: The end of football and time for thinking about love, romance and Valentine’s Day (and books of course!). Head on over to the South Arkansas Community Library and fall in love with one of these new arrivals this Valentine’s Day:

‘The Rosie Project’

by Graeme Simsion.

Even though this book’s cover is red and has a heart on it, don’t be fooled – “The Rosie Project” no mushy romance. Imagine just the opposite: A dedicated geneticist decides to find love the only way that he understands – scientifically.

Since he’s completely lacking in social skills, Don Tillman launches the Wife Project with a 16-page survey designed to weed out all the undesirables. No spoilers here, but

FESTIVAL

continued from Page 4

Previous honorees include Amy Allen, Star Daze in Star City; Rhonda Ray, Smackover Oil Town Festival in Smackover; Keith D. Griffin, Star Daze in Star City; Jerry Rye, Toad Suck Daze in Conway; Diane Atchison, BPW Barn Sale in Camden; and Teresa Golliher, MusicFest El Dorado. » Festival of the Year: MusicFest El Dorado, El Dorado.

Other previous winners were World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest, Stuttgart; Toad Suck Daze, Conway; Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival, Warren; Smoke on the Water, Pine Bluff; and BPW Barn Sale, Camden. » Event of the Year: Purple Friday, Ozark.

This award is presented to an event or other special celebration that stands out among all events in Arkansas by its creative approach, crowd appeal, media coverage, and enhancement of community pride or a combination of these, thus benefiting the state’s quality of life. Last year the award went to first-ever Ninth Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in

‘Love Karma’

the project has some hilarious and unexpected complications.

‘A Haunted Love Story’

by Mark Spencer.

A love story of the unexplained took place right over in Monticello, the setting for another new book by Mark Spencer, “A Haunted Love Story: The Ghosts of the Allen House.”

by Char Margolis.

Tired of the singles scene? Perhaps your karma holds the key to an exciting new relationship!

Learn the real meaning of the term “soul mates,” how to start online dating the right way and the dos and don’ts of a long-term relationship once you find the right someone in “Love Karma: Use Your Intuition to Find, Create, and Nurture Love in Your Life.”

Now for the romances ...

Many of you love a good mushy romance, and we have many to choose from. You might try some from these authors: Sandra Dallas, Joshilyn Jackson, Beverly Lewis, Johanna Lindsey, Debbie Macomber, Fern Michaels, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Ciji Ware.

If you’re looking for something specific, please ask one of the library staff members.

Remember, library hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to noon, and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Don’t forget photo identification if you want to get a library card, and be sure always to bring your card to check out books.

Lauri Wilson is a library technician at South Arkansas Community College. All of the books mentioned in Shelf Life are available at the SouthArk Library, located at 300 Summit Ave. in El Dorado. The library is open to the public. For more information, call 870.864.7115.

Daze, Conway (twirly straw cup); Silver – Harvest Festival, Ozark (hat); Bronze – Buck Fever Festival, continued from Page 4 Banks (camouflage hat). » T-Shirt/Sweatshirt: Gold – El Dorado’s launch of the Cash Thunder on the Mountain, Ozark; Mob marked the first in the state Silver – Harvest Festival, Ozark; for a Main Street Arkansas afBronze – Wakurusa, Ozark. filiate. MSA assistant director Samantha Evans was on hand at » Poster: Gold – Harvest Festival, the debut in El Dorado said the Ozark; Silver – Hot Springs Blues Festival, Hot Springs; Bronze – city was a good choice to launch Toad Suck Daze, Conway. the event.

“El Dorado, being one of our fin» Event Photo: Gold – Wakaest Main Street communities and rusa, Ozark; Silver – Toad Suck with their social media contacts, Daze, Conway; Bronze – World’s we knew they’d be successful in Championship Duck Calling starting a Cash Mob,” Evans said.

Contest, Stuttgart.

Main Street Arkansas is a pro» Event Website: Gold – Mugram area of the Arkansas HissicFest El Dorado, El Dorado; toric Preservation Program, an Silver – Toad Suck Daze, Conway; agency of the Department of Bronze – World’s Championship Arkansas Heritage. The Main Duck Calling Contest, Stuttgart.

Street Arkansas awards are pre» Social Media Campaign: Gold – MusicFest El Dorado, Championship Duck Calling Con- El Dorado; Silver – Toad Suck Hot Springs.

Promotional ALFiE Awards were test, Stuttgart; Bronze – Dinosaur Daze, Conway; Bronze – Dinosaur given to top quality examples of fes- Festival, Nashville.

Festival, Nashville. tival and event promotions. Awards » Newspaper/Tabloid: Gold For more information on the ALwere presented in eight categories to – Toad Suck Daze, Conway; SilFiE Awards or the Arkansas Festithe following winners: ver – World’s Championship Duck vals and Events Association, call » Color Brochure: Gold – Brad- Calling Contest, Stuttgart; Bronze – AFEA executive director Trina ley County Pink Tomato Fes- Golden Gathering, Nashville.

Mitchell at 501.350.2378 or email » Souvenir: Gold – Toad Suck info@ArFEA.org. tival, Warren; Silver – World’s

MOB

sented biannually to recognize outstanding achievements by individuals, organizations and communities in helping to revitalize their downtown areas. The Main Street Arkansas Advisory Board selects the winners.

Main Street Arkansas provides technical assistance and design services to help create economic development in the state’s downtown areas. The Main Street approach to downtown revitalization focuses on four areas: design, economic restructuring, organization and promotion.

To learn more about Main Street Arkansas, visit arkansas preservation.com/main-street.

More information about Main Street El Dorado can be found at mainstreeteldorado.org.

02•12•14

... for hundreds of FREE classifieds!

Destination: Space Local Girl Scout one of 15 selected in nation to attend Space Academy

Rebecca Pratt, member of Girl Scouts Diamonds – Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas Troop 2322 in El Dorado, has been selected to attend the week-long Girl Scout Destination: Space study of math, science and Academy in Huntsville, Ala., in technology. The primary goal of June.

Space Academy is to provide a Destinations is a program for memorable adventure in a safe Cadettes and above, offering and stimulating environment national and international travel while instilling the life-long benopportunities in five efits of independence, categories: interresponsibility, positive national, outdoors, self-image, self-conscience, people and fidence, new perspecgetaways. Designed tives, acceptance, as a cooperative effort teamwork, decision between Girl Scouts making, problem solvof the U.S.A. and ing, respect for rules Space Camp at the and safety, and posiU.S. Space & Rocket tive adult role models.

Center, the DestinaActivities include a tions program offers Pratt simulated shuttle misan opportunity to sion, problem-solving explore first-hand the as a member of mission control, possibilities of a future career uncovering scientific principles in aerospace science. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is recog- in an orbiting space station, and nized as one of the most comperforming a spacewalk in a prehensive U.S.-manned space microgravity environment. flight hardware museums in the Trainees are housed in Space world.

Habitat, a futuristic space staSpace Camp was founded tion mock-up. Over 32,000 in 1982 as the U.S. Space & trainees graduate from this Rocket Center museum’s eduSCOUT continued on Page 12 cation program to promote the

It’s Girl Scout cookie time.

Cookies arrive the week of Feb. 16. This year’s varieties include: Samoas, Savannah Smiles, Tagalongs, Do-SiDo, Thin Mint, Thank You Berry Much, Dulce de Leche, and Trefoil; all cost $3.50 a box and are trans-fat free.

Troops in the Union Service Unit have elected to continue to provide

Gift of Caring cookies to the Armed Forces Reserve Center in El Dorado.

If you have not had a chance to order, or you would like to donate a box to the Armed Forces Reserve Center, call 870.875.2692 (leave your name and contact information) or email the the Union Service Unit at uniongirlscouts@yahoo.com.

MEALS

continued from Page 3

meals are whole grains, she said.

Cook a batch of whole grains, such as brown rice or whole-wheat pasta, and freeze in individual portions using a muffin pan. Once frozen, the discs can be stored in a zip-top bag and then reheated or used as the base of a favorite recipe.

Buying frozen vegetables is convenient and, in most cases, they’re almost as nutritious as fresh. They will keep in the freezer indefinitely, but will lose quality over time.

“Be sure you shop wisely and chose vegetables without added sauces or butter,” Hadley advised.

Extend the longevity of fresh fruits in the home by eating the more perishable fruits early in the week, and saving the hearty fruits, such as apples and oranges, for later in the week.

Smaller households can still get calcium-rich protein, too, without breaking the bank, Hadley said.

“While the quart of nonfat yogurt may be cheaper than the singles, if you can’t eat it before it expires, you are throwing money in the

South Arkansas Leader

9

garbage,” she said.

Although the freezer can be helpful in storing many foods, yogurt is not one that freezes well, so buying the smaller portions can help reduce potential waste.

Another waste prevention technique is to purchase cheese slices form the deli instead of the dairy section. While they may be higher in cost per pound, it can save money in the long run since shoppers can choose how much to get at a time, which helps prevent anything from spoiling before it’s eaten.

Go lean with protein is the last key message for planning a healthy plate, Hadley said.

“You can have eggs, beans and nuts,” she said. “With eggs, you can throw a meal together fast. They are inexpensive, an excellent source of protein and contain a wealth of nutrients.”

Also buy family packs of meat, poultry or fish instead of the smaller packages, wrap individual portions in freezer-safe paper, and use freezer tape to secure. Label each package with the date and contents.

For more information on healthy meals, visit www.uaex.edu.

10

South Arkansas Leader

02•12•14

COMMUNITY calendar

» HEALTH INSURANCE SIGNUP ASSISTANCE — The Medical Center of South Arkansas is providing sign-up assistance for health insurance, through the March 31 enrollment deadline. Based on household income and dependents, you may be eligible for health insurance coverage at no cost through Medicaid; or you may be eligible for new health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace.

When: Now through March 31 Where: Medical Center of South Arkansas, 700 West Grove St., El Dorado Contact: For more information or to make an appointment for sign-up assistance, contact MCSA at 870.864.4185. » TAX FORMS AVAILABLE — The Internal Revenue Service opened the 2014 filing season on Jan. 31. Tax payers are encouraged to use e-file or Free File, but individual tax forms will be available at the Barton Public Library during regular business hours. The library will make all forms available as it receives them.

When: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 8 p.m.; and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

The library is closed on Sundays.

Where: Barton Public Library, 200 East Fifth St., El Dorado Contact: For more information, contact the library at 870.863.5447.

» SAAC 2014 STUDENT ART SHOW — The visual arts committee will host an artist reception for its 2014 Student Art Show and Competition, which will be on display in the Merkle, Price and Lobby galleries through Feb. 28. The contest was open to all students grades K-12, for two-

Log on to www.eldoark.com ...

Your guide to events happening in communities in and around Union County.

dimensional, 3-D and multi-media fine arts. Some works will be for sale during the exhibition, and cash prizes will be awarded to Best of Show.

First, second and third places will be awarded to each of the grade divisions, K-4, 5-8 and 9-12.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 East Fifth St., El Dorado Contact: For more information, call 870.862.5474 or go to saac-arts.org.

» SOUTHARK WRITERS’ INK CONTEST — The deadline is approaching for South Arkansas Community College’s creative-writing contest that is the basis for the literary magazine, Writers’ Ink. The contest is open to all Union County highschool students, and 18 cash prizes will be awarded in three literary genres (poetry, essays and short fiction), with first, second and third place winners in the junior (ninth and 10th grade) and senior (11th and 12th grade) divisions.

Submission Deadline: Friday, Feb. 21 Rules: A complete set of rules, requirements and guidelines are available at www.southark.edu/writersink. » GIRL SCOUT COOKIES — Area Girl Scouts will be selling cookies for the Girl Scout Cookie Program at local booths beginning Feb. 21. There are eight flavors available at $3.50 per box, and all cookies are trans-fat free.

All proceeds support local Girl Scout troops and programs. The Gift of Caring Program also allows consumers to purchase and donate cookies to U.S. military members through the Girl Scouts – Diamonds Council bakers, Little Brownie Bakers.

Tell Us Something Good!

Submit your event, announcement or story idea to the South Arkansas Leader at leader@noalmark.com at least one week before the date of the event. All material must be received by noon Monday the week of publication. For more information, contact the Leader staff at 870.863.6126 or by email.

When: Feb. 21 – March 16 Where: Union County Contact: For more information, contact local Girl Scout Troop 2322 at 870.875.2692 or at uniongirlscouts@ yahoo.com, or go online to facebook .com/Troop2322. » CLASSICAL GUITARIST IN CONCERT — Barton Public Library will host classical guitarist Peter Fletcher in concert for the ninth year.

Fletcher will perform his Carnegie Hall repertoire. For more information about Fletcher, go online to peter fletcher.com. The concert is free and open to the public.

When: Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.

Where: South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 East Fifth St., El Dorado Contact: For more information, contact the Barton Public Library at 870.863.5447. » COMMUNITY IMPACT MINI GRANTS — The United Way of Union County is now accepting applications for Community Impact Mini Grants. These funding requests ($500 or less) should present innovative approaches to meeting the health and human service needs of the community. Priority will be given to projects addressing UWUC priority issues – education, health services, culture or recreation, safety and violence, and healthy behaviors. Applicants must operate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Union County and demonstrate an ability to meet a need in the community.

Deadline: noon on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Contact: To request an application or for more information, call 870.862.4903 or email alexis@united wayunioncounty.com.

» SAAC SEEKS DIRECTOR — The South Arkansas Arts Center is accepting director applications for its 2014 summer production of “9 to 5: The Musical.” Audition dates are set for May 5-7, with performances running July 10-20. Qualified applicants should submit a letter of introduction, brief production plan and a short resume.

Salary schedule is competitive and will be set according to experience.

Qualifications include some directing experience and knowledge of community theater.

When: Deadline to apply is Feb. 28.

Where: All applications should be mailed to South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 East Fifth St., El Dorado, AR 71730, ATTN: Executive Director.

Contact: For more information, contact the SAAC office at 870.862.5474. » KEEP ARKANSAS BEAUTIFUL POSTER CONTEST — The Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission invites students in kindergarten through fifth grades statewide to submit art entries in its annual youth poster contest. Public schools, home-schoolers, 4-H clubs, scouts and other organizations are all invited to submit entries.

Prizes will be awarded in two divisions – grades K-2 and 3-5, and winning art will be displayed at the Thea Foundation art gallery in North Little Rock.

Deadline: Saturday, March 1 Where: Mail or deliver all entries to Elizabeth Philpott, Keep Arkansas Beautiful, One Capitol Mall, Suite 4A007, Little Rock, AR 72201.

Contact: For a full list of contest rules, visit KeepArkansasBeautiful.com, call 501.682.3507 or email elizabeth .philpott@arkansas.gov.

Crossword and Sudoku Answer Keys

Feb. 5

02•12•14

... for hundreds of FREE classifieds!

L

SUDOKU

EADER

To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box.

You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

Union County's free source for community news and more

Noalmark Broadcasting

General Manager Jay Helm jay_helm@noalmark.com

Editor Brooke Burger brooke.burger@noalmark.com Advertising Harry Dyer harry@noalmark.com Stacey Turner stacey.turner@noalmark.com

WEEKLY RECIPE Truffles tailor-made for Valentine’s Day indulgence Valentine’s Day is known for many things. Youngsters associate the day with exchanging homemade valentines with their classmates, while couples look at the day as an annual opportunity to express their feelings for their partners, often over a nice dinner.

But no Valentine’s Day is complete without sweets. On Valentine’s Day, healthy eating often takes a backseat to indulging in various confections, as seemingly everyone finds a way to enjoy a special treat on Feb. 14. Those who want to experience how Parisians might indulge their sweet tooth on Valentine’s Day can try the following recipe for “Truffes au Chocolat” from Sarah Woodward’s “The Food of France” (Kyle Books).

Truffes au Chocolat Ingredients:

The South Arkansas Leader is owned and operated by Noalmark Broadcasting Corporation. The views and opinions expressed in the South Arkansas Leader are those of the staff and contributing writers and do not represent the official views of Noalmark Broadcasting Corporation. All material published in this newspaper and on its website is copyrighted.

The South Arkansas Leader publishes every Wednesday.

All materials for publication must be received no later than noon Monday the week of publication. For more information on submitting news releases, photos, event announcements, story ideas or photo opportunities, please contact the editor.

The South Arkansas Leader is a weekly communityinterest newspaper serving Union County, Arkansas.

CROSSWORD How It Works

South Arkansas

2525 North West Ave. El Dorado, AR 71730 Office: 870.863.6126 Fax: 870.863.4555 leader@noalmark.com

South Arkansas Leader

Makes 20 to 24 truffles » 1 cup heavy cream » 2 tablespoons super fine sugar » 1 tablespoon Cointreau or

Directions:

Armagnac (optional) good quality cocoa powder » 2 tablespoons unsalted butter » Scant 1/2 pound dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa solids

Scald the cream with the sugar by bringing to a boil and then removing from the heat immediately. Whisk in the chocolate piece by piece until you have a smooth emulsion.

Allow to cool slightly, then whisk in the butter, again in pieces, followed by the alcohol if you are using it. Chill the mixture in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Now stir the mixture well and, using either two teaspoons if you are dexterous or your fingers if you don’t mind getting messy, fashion the truffles into small balls. Place on parchment paper or foil on a baking sheet and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.

Roll well in the cocoa powder and leave in the refrigerator at least overnight before serving.

CLUES ACROSS 1. Yearly tonnage (abbr.)

4. Licenses TV stations 7. Brain wave test 8. Rowing fulcrum peg 10. Arabian Gulf 12. 55121 MN 13. Trash and tin 14. Actress Farrow 16. Egg of a louse 17. Lesion 19. A Scottish cap 20. Poi vegetable 21. Illness from neurosis 25. Moving truck 26. Gallivant 27. Millisecond 29. Trigonometric function

CLUES DOWN

1. Saucer’s companion 2. Foot controls 3. Administrative unit 4. Residential mortgage authority 5. High quality French brandy 6. Gilbert O’Sullivan song 8. Steeped beverage 9. Prefix used in anatomy, biology 11. Nanosecond (abbr.)

14. Mayan language 15. Create mentally 18. Atomic No. 45 19. 2,000 pounds 20. Oceanic rise or fall 22. Did to excess 23. Pouch or bag-like

30. Pinna 31. Loud noise 32. Small auto accidents 39. Thin wire nail 41. Many subconsciousness 42. Rocket scientist Werner Von 43. Albanian currency 44. Sum up 45. Grapefruit & tangerine hybrid 46. SE Asia palm genus 48. Drew off fluid 49. Severe & cruel 50. Before 51. It never sleeps 52. Used to be United ___

structure 24. Browning of the skin 27. A fitting reward (archaic) 28. Diego, Francisco or Anselmo 29. Cognate 31. Physicians 32. Duplicity 33. Doctor of Education 34. E. Canadian province 35. Beat thoroughly 36. $10 gold coins 37. Monarchs or dictators 38. Duke: “The Silver Fox” 39. Dull claptrap 40. Showed old movie 44. Express pleasure 47. Reciprocal of a sine

Answer key on page 10.

11

12

South Arkansas Leader

02•12•14

SouthArk will launch KSAC, an Internet-based radio station, on Valentine’s Day South Arkansas Community College will launch a new Internetbased radio station, KSAC, at noon on Valentine’s Day as part of its performance and media arts program.

The project is an assignment of this spring’s Sound Recording class.

Some of the shows will be: » “Ask the President,” with student host Karly Smith of El Dorado.

Smith will interview SouthArk president Dr. Barbara Jones about topics relating to the college. » A current events show will focus on the latest events in the El Dorado area, also with Smith as host. » “This Is South Art,” with student host Dixie O’Neal. The show will highlight art events in the El Dorado area.

Free Checking

» A music show will feature student host Charles Miller discussing music and musicians in the area.

The station manager is student Nicolas Patterson.

The station will be available at the college’s website, www.southark.edu, under the “KSAC” link.

All programs will be archived and will be available to listen to at any time.

“We want this to be a tool for the community to get the word out about the good things happening in El Dorado,” PMA program director Larry Powell said.

Community organizations will be given the opportunity to participate in KSAC. The community is invited to send requests with all pertinent information to Powell at lpowell@southark.edu.

Log on to www.eldoark.com ...

SCOUT

continued from Page 9

program every year and go on to become scientists, doctors, teachers, engineers and even astronauts for a current alumni community of 540,000 people.

Pratt, one of 15 girls selected from across the United States, is a 13-year-old attending the eighth grade at Barton Junior High School in El Dorado. She has been a member of Girl Scouts since 2005, earning both her Bronze and Silver Awards with her troop.

She has attended resident camp at Crossed Arrows in Floral for the last three years, learning horseback riding and archery. She plays violin as well as the clarinet for the BJHS band.

Pratt also volunteers in the community, working for Parent’s Night Out at First Baptist Church,

assisting staff with care of children one Friday a month. She also volunteers as a youth helper, working the concession stand for Upward Basketball and assisting with Children’s Church on Sundays. As well, Pratt works one day every week after school at the Bistro Café located at BJHS. Ever since her older sister went on a Destination at the end of her eighth-grade year, Pratt has wanted to go on one as well, and said she felt that Space Academy was a great destination and an opportunity to learn the most interesting information about space, on Earth.

Union United is a section showcasing the news and happenings of the 14 nonprofit partner agencies of the United Way of Union County.

For more information, call 870.862.4903, email liveunited@uwucar.org or visit unitedwayunioncounty.com.

g in s a h c r u P +

Power Kasasa Cash Back® puts your hard-earned money right where you want it — back in your pocket. Earn cash back on debit card purchases — what you buy is up to you.

It’s free checking that doesn’t just pay. It pays you back. We’ll even refund your ATM fees, nationwide. So you can use your debit card across the country, worry-free.

DON’T JUST BANK. KASASA . ®

s PluNo minimum balance requirements to earn rewards Free debit card • Free online banking and bill pay

www.ffb1.com | All the bank you’ll ever need.

BARTON PUBLIC LIBRARY » Adult Reference » Fiction and Nonfiction » Teen and Children Titles » Cookbooks and MORE! » $2 reference works » $1 hardbacks » 50¢ softbacks, CDS, etc. » 25¢ paperbacks » 10¢ magazines

Book Sale March 19 - 26 noon to 6 p.m.

TAC House

1101 North West Ave. El Dorado